Once a year, I realize what day it is and my eyes begin to well up. No musician has ever meant as much to me as Elliott Smith; I don’t imagine any ever will. We lost one of the best songwriters ever eight years ago, but more than that, we lost a son, a brother, a lover, a friend — a person who needed help and didn’t get it. Don’t let the people you care for go down this road.

Here’s Elliott singing “The Biggest Lie,” from his flawless, self-titled sophomore album, with the Softies’ Rose Melberg. You can find a full appreciation for him over at Rawkblog’s dedicated Elliott Smith page, which includes links to concert bootlegs, unreleased material and his complete live covers, among others.